Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 5, 2017)

Mirror had earlier reported (August 30) that Sony’s drama, Pehredaar Piya Ki, was being pulled off the air in light of the online backlash surrounding its theme. The controversial show revolved around an 18-year-old girl, Diya (Tejaswi Prakash Wayangankar), who, compelled by circumstances, |marries nine-year-old Ratan Singh (played by Affan Khan), a hotel heir. On his deathbed, Ratan’s father Maan Singh tells Diya’s family that the couple should remarry to make the alliance legal when his son turns 21.

The show will be returning with a different name that is yet to be decided. While the female lead remains, her onscreen husband the second time around is a much older Rohit Suchanti.

A source associated with the show says, “It’s a new storyline to ensure it doesn’t run into any more controversies. Diya is still older than Ratan but the age gap isn’t as much as the last time. The shoot has kicked off in Rajasthan. Parmeet Sethi’s character, that of Ratan’s father, will be played by a new actor. The show will go on air in November.”
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Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; October 5, 2017)

Pehredaar Piya Ki found itself in an unenviable spot of being one of the most controversial shows, when it was aired in July. Slammed for its objectionable content that revolved around an 18-year-old woman getting married to a nine-year-old boy, the show was pulled off air in August after the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting led by Smriti Irani intervened in the matter.

Now, the team has returned with their latest offering. The promo, which was released yesterday, sees lead actor Tejaswi Prakash in her Diya avatar. Rumours suggest that the new show is a sequel to Pehredaar, with a time leap of 10 years.

However, speaking to mid-day, Prakash insists that it has "nothing to do with our last show". "This one will have a new name and a new concept altogether. We are not showing any flashbacks, nor are we showing a time leap where the boy [character of Ratan Maan Singh] who I was married to, has grown up. We don't want another controversy," she says matter-of-factly.

Point out that the central characters of the previous show have been retained and she says, "Pehredaar Piya Ki was a much-talked about show. So, the producers decided to retain the names of the characters this time too. That way, it would be easier for the audience to connect with these characters."

Ask Prakash her viewpoint on the controversial show and she measures her words carefully. "In hindsight, I do believe that a lot of things could have been done differently. But I am happy that we have rectified it. I am glad that the producers stood by us and the channel also gave us another chance. We have managed to put together this one in barely 20 days," she says of the show that will be aired in November.